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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25304494">the messages we paint in the silence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalon_tudor/pseuds/avalon_tudor'>avalon_tudor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warrior Nun (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, probably some mistranslated French</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:22:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25304494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalon_tudor/pseuds/avalon_tudor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Continues directly after the season finale</p><p>Ava discovers one of Beatrice's artistic talents and finally gets a good night's sleep.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>412</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the messages we paint in the silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If you asked Ava how they escaped the wraiths, Adriel, and the two-timing bastard Father Vincent, she couldn’t tell you. A member of the Swiss guard was able to stab her in the shoulder right before flinging her across the courtyard. Miraculously, however, the group of nuns managed to blast their way out with a severely injured Ava and barely conscious Mary in tow and sped off in the van.</p><p>As the vehicle began racing off to God knows where just anywhere else besides the very holy place they just blew up, Ava slowly came to as her eyes fluttered open to two very beautiful and very distressed eyes staring down at her with strong hands applying pressure to her wound.</p><p>“Wow, we gotta stop doing this”, she managed to rasp out.</p><p>“Yes, you have to stop almost dying and then I won’t need to stop you from bleeding out in the back of moving vehicles”, Beatrice countered, although it had no bite in it, only a deep worry that stretched out over her face.</p><p>Mary was a few feet away having Camila bandage a gash in her right arm and Lilith was at the wheel, driving at speeds that couldn’t possibly be safe, but probably safer than a very pissed off devil thief.</p><p>Beatrice continued to apply pressure to Ava’s shoulder. “I know a safe place we can use for now. Do you remember the mission in Lyon?”</p><p>Camila turned her attention to Beatrice. “France? Bea, how will we make it across the border? We have no identification and I’m pretty sure we’re wanted by half the EU.”</p><p>“I understand your concern, Camila, but V-”, she quickly corrected herself, “but we came prepared in case something like this were to happen. Even if the documentation is faulty, I’ll handle it, just please trust me.”</p><p>“Always”, Camila replied earnestly.</p><p>Beatrice quickly gave Lilith instructions to get to a border control point between Italy and France, all while tending to Ava beneath her and recollecting a mental map of the area of the last time they were there to remember the supply stop they had taken.</p><p>Ava struggled to keep her eyes open as the Halo finally resumed healing her body, allowing Beatrice to stop the bleeding and hastily make a bandage by ripping out a piece of her habit at the hem.</p><p>“Rest for now. We have a long way to go and you need your strength.”</p><p>Ava managed to murmur in agreement just before passing out and entangling her fingers in Beatrice’s. Beatrice stiffened but released the tension in her fingers not wanting to disturb Ava and instead opting to reposition herself so that she could clean some of her own cuts while using her thumb to soothingly rub circles onto Ava’s hand. Camila glanced at Beatrice, smiling softly at the scene before her not wanting to potentially startle her fellow sister nun.</p><p>Hopefully, Sister Melanie’s story from the diary had helped the two discuss a few important matters and hopefully leave room for more important conversations in the future.</p><p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>It had taken nearly the entire night before the van slowed to a stop a few kilometers from the border checkpoint. Sometime in the early hours of the morning Camila and Lilith had switched places, allowing Lilith a chance to rest in the passenger seat. Beatrice remained next to Ava, monitoring her for any signs of distress: the hand holding was something she had allowed herself to continue to indulge in for perhaps selfish reasons, but she wasn’t ready to confront those feelings just yet, and maybe she never would, as cowardly as that sounded. None of her thoughts for the future would matter if she couldn’t get her team to safety, so she gently removed herself from Ava’s side and lightly brushed her fingers over her sleeping face. She quickly removed her habit and gently wiped the blood off of her face. Camila switched places with Beatrice and the van resumed its journey coming to a stop by a French border security officer.</p><p>“Veuillez présenter votre pièce d'identité”, the man asked.</p><p>“Bien sûr. Ce sont les identifications de mes sœurs, monsieur”, Beatrice replied, presenting documentation that she had procured from a bag in the back.</p><p>Lilith, Mary, and Camila all collectively held their breath as the man inspected the papers and peered through the van.</p><p>He gestured with his head towards Ava:“Et elle dans le dos? Je vois ses papiers mais va-t-elle bien?”</p><p>“Oui, monsieur. Elle a bu un peu trop lors d'une fête”, Beatrice replied with a sheepish grin. A French teen passed out from a wild night of partying in Italy, how could that be something the officer hadn’t seen?</p><p>A few more breathless seconds passed before the officer sighed and returned their papers.<br/>
“Bienvenue a France.”</p><p>Beatrice smiled at him and Lilith thanked him as they all let out their held breath.</p><p>“It’s a damn good thing that guy didn't care enough to actually inspect the car otherwise I don’t think that would have gone as well as that did” Mary said.</p><p>The nuns agreed as Beatrice drove towards closer and closer to a place where they’d be able to properly rest and wash up. They’d have to start training and preparing Ava for proper combat soon, as this strategic retreat was only a temporary problem to unleashing literal hell on earth.</p><p>A manor slowly came to view a few hours later.</p><p>“Bea, what is this place? We didn’t use it the last time we were here”, Lilith inquired.</p><p>“It’s safe. We didn’t use it because there were people in it at the time.”</p><p>“Girl, are we about to trespass? To think I’d see the day when Bea finesses a French officer and breaks into a mansion within 12 hours!” Mary exclaimed, a grin on her face despite her split lip.</p><p>“It’s not exactly breaking in if I have the key”, Beatrice replied, eyes not leaving the road.</p><p>At that, Mary, Camila, and Lilith stared at her in disbelief but chose not to add anything else. Beatrice had mentioned her family’s background so it wasn’t that surprising considering their wealth and affluence. Instead, Camila gently woke Ava up while Lilith and Mary prepared to get their things out of the van.</p><p> </p><p>While Beatrice, Lilith, and Camila performed a sweep of the whole manor, Mary and Ava stayed outside.</p><p>“Holy shit is this place actually Beatrice’s?! This has got to be the biggest house I’ve ever seen, definitely way bigger than the place JC and his crew were using.” Ava excitedly said, all while she glanced around the beautiful drive through of the gorgeously landscaped estate surrounding her. The yard was well kept but with a few weeds popping up through shrubbery and flower bushes, indicating that while the place was well-kept, no one had been here in a few months.</p><p>“Well, it’s technically not hers, it’s her parents’. As long as we got a place over our heads for a bit I wouldn’t have really cared if this place was a shed or the goddamn Buckingham Palace. We need to get prepared for dealing with Adriel and that traitorous bastard.”</p><p>Ava’s smile slowly disappeared as she turned towards Mary, “I’m sorry about Vincent and.. about everything else. I failed and I let everyone down back there.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize. You’re not the one who got Shannon killed. You’re not the one who fucking baited us into breaking out a devil. Ava, none of this is your fault. Adriel is not your fault, you hear me?”, Mary replied, staring directly at Ava.</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“Shut up. Tell me right now that this wasn’t your fault or I’ll shoot you in your foot.”</p><p>“Okay! Okay, God! This isn’t my fault!”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>A voice sounded behind Ava that caused her to whip around.</p><p>“I think it’s still too early to take the Lord’s name in vain, Ava”, Beatrice said to her with her lips slightly upturned.</p><p>“Pffft, you totally said ‘fuck’ back there, I think I get a free pass for a bit”</p><p>Beatrice blushed a bit at that, shaking her head and helping bring their supplies into the manor.</p><p> </p><p>Once everyone had settled in, the reality of the situation weighed heavily on the women. They spent the remainder of the day heading into the small village nearby to collect medical supplies, civilian clothes, and basic food items.</p><p>The group began mapping out their next steps as they all sat around an enormous dinner table having just finished their hastily-yet-surprisingly good meal.</p><p>“We’ll need to get more supplies soon and most importantly, start training Ava”, Lilith started.</p><p>“We can start training tomorrow, then”, Beatrice added, “but for now I believe all of us could use some much needed rest.”</p><p>Everyone had mostly turned in for the night, but Ava lay awake on her blissfully plush bed. She couldn’t believe she was in Bea’s house, or at least one of her houses, and she didn’t want to close her eyes for fear of what awaited her in her dreams. Surely exploring couldn’t be a bad idea? And plus, maybe she’d get to improve her ninja skills and sneak up on someone else for once.</p><p>She not-so-quietly padded over across the room and opened the door, walking out into the second-floor hallway. She could hear Camila’s soft snoring as she passed by her room, smiling to herself. She finally had a family, and she’d train her damned hardest to make sure no one could take them away from her.</p><p>As she continued to take in the opulence of the mansion, she ventured up to the third floor where she began to hear some soft music. Intrigued, Ava moved closer to the source, finding a closed door with light flooding through the cracks. As smoothly as she could, she opened the door, only to have her heart rate immediately pick up.</p><p>Holy shit</p><p>Holy mother of Jesus</p><p>Holy hell</p><p>Beatrice was turned away from the door, sitting in a chair and playing what might possibly be the most wonderful music Ava had ever heard in her life. The nun no longer donned her habit, opting for a braid that ran along her back and exposing the gentle curve of her neck. She was cradling a cello, completely immersed in her music, unaware of Ava's entrance. Ava stood perfectly still while holding her breath, not moving a single muscle in fear of Beatrice stopping whatever she was playing. Of course, things never went Ava’s way and only a few moments passed until her own body betrayed her. All the dust from the manor’s disuse caught up to her nose and she could not stop the sneeze that escaped her.</p><p>Ava froze like a deer in headlights and Beatrice quickly stopped and turned around.</p><p>“Ava, are you alright? I hadn’t expected you; I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep”, the cellist said, concerned as she raked over Ava’s face for any sign of pain or duress.</p><p>“What? No! No, you didn’t disturb me or anything! I was just taking a stroll or whatever just like practicing my ninja skills or whatever”, Ava replied, internally panicking as she struggled to find any excuse.</p><p>“Pardon, your- your ninja skills?”</p><p>“Yeah! Like super stealthy and badass or whatever, you know?” Ava added in a few eyebrow wiggles for good measure.</p><p>Beatrice got up from her chair and gently put her cello down. She smiled as she walked towards Ava.</p><p>“I must say this is an interesting way for you to further your skills in stealth, but it is quite late, Ava, and you do begin hard work tomorrow. Should I escort you back to your room?”</p><p>The last thing Ava wanted to do was to sleep right now after finding out that her nun-crush was not only skilled in languages, martial arts, and weapons, but that she could play cello? No. Ava couldn’t leave. There was no way she could, she had to hear her play again. Suddenly, she grabbed both of Beatrice’s hands:</p><p>“No, please. Can I hear you again? I never- I’ve never heard someone play cello in person before and you just sound so good and I just want to hear you play again but I can totally leave if you want time to be by yourself like I totally-”</p><p>“Okay, but just one piece, Ava. I really need you to be at your full strength for tomorrow”, Beatrice cut her off with her eyes showing a plethora of feelings. Ava nodded vigorously in agreement before Beatrice gently extricated one hand from her grasp and guided her to a nearby sofa, returning to her chair and picking up her instrument.</p><p>Ava sat down, wonder in her eyes as she watched Beatrice get settled.</p><p>“Cello was something I didn’t learn to be useful”, Beatrice said, “I used to come here when I was younger for holiday and I’d hold small concerts in this room for my family.Things weren’t so complicated back then”, she added with a sad smile.</p><p>Ava could only offer her a soft smile of encouragement in return, her heart aching for the young woman in front of her.</p><p>Beatrice picked up her bow and suddenly they were the only two people in the world. Saint-Saens’ The Swan enveloped the two of them in their own bubble as Beatrice played through pain, love, yearning, and loss all through this piece for Ava.</p><p>Beatrice prayed to God that Ava could hear all the things she couldn’t say and all the things she wanted to say through her music, praying that it carried through, praying that she would understand.</p><p>It carried through.</p><p>It was enough.</p><p>She understood.</p><p>Beatrice knew this as she looked up at Ava after she finished. Ava’s eyes communicated a depth of emotion as she gave her a watery smile, and Beatrice selfishly prayed that her expression would portray the same things in return. Morning would come and they would be warriors, concerned with their survival and training, but for now? For now, they were just Beatrice and Ava. Just two girls exploring their own thoughts and feelings, undisturbed by the outside world.<br/>
Ava begged Beatrice for more music and the nun could hardly refuse her adorably pleading face.</p><p>Beatrice would give up everything up for that look</p><p>And Ava would give anything for a few moments longer with Beatrice</p><p>So she played for hours as Ava listened on, basking in the warmth radiating from the notes, slowly being lulled to sleep by the gentle caress of a promise for the future.</p><p>Ava had never slept better in her life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked this! This is the first fic I've written, so please leave a comment down below about your thoughts! I'm a violinist and I've always wanted to play cello solely because of The Swan :) </p><p>I wrote this hoping that Beatrice had learned cello because she loved it, not because it would give her more value :( I literally love Ava and Beatrice so much!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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